Why Should I Consider a Hybrid Car?

More and more people are turning to hybrid cars these days because of their promise of lesser fuel consumption and environmental friendliness. Hybrid cars, because they run on both fuel and battery-powered engines, eat up less fuel, thereby sparing the consumer the pain of falling prey to price pressures in the world oil market. In addition, it also emits significantly less smog pollutants in the air, compared to traditional fuel-operated cars. Indeed, there are a lot of advantages to owning hybrid cars. This is why even the US government is starting to show support by welcoming more models into the country and by encouraging American auto makers like General Motors and Ford to make more units.

Here are some of the advantages of hybrid cars:

1) Efficiency – Hybrid cars are electrically operated and are thus able to function well and consistently at any motor speed. This is in contrast to conventional gas-powered engines, which tend to produce less power in low revolutions per minute episodes. Hybrid cars do not need to use transmissions to make their engines run at full capacity even at reduced speeds.

2) Economy – One of the advantages of hybrid cars is that the feature called “regenerative braking”. Since a hybrid car works using both electric power and fuel power, each can function by itself or conjunction, depending on which is stronger at the time of use. This means that both engines complement each other and do not simply bog one when one of them becomes weaker.

3) Convenience – Because hybrid cars are part battery powered, they do not create huge holes in the pocket, compared to users of traditional cars who feel the pain of the continuing oil price increases. Most hybrid cars, particularly the ones that are made in Japan, are also more compact and lightweight, making them easier to maneuver on the road. Other models, particularly those by American and European car makers also do not deviate from the stylish designs their regular counterparts adopt, so users don’t have to feel they are being left out in the style department.

4) Sustainability – Sure, hybrid cars are fairly new, so their immediate impact on the environment cannot be foreseen in the short term. However, over the course of time, the next generations will definitely be thankful for having a clean, pollution free world, thanks in part to hybrid vehicles.

Some critics say that it is not the time to buy hybrid vehicles because they are expensive. However, when you consider the advantages, you really shouldn’t think twice. While you must be discerning in choosing the right model for your needs, this doesn’t mean you start hesitating. After all, when more people start buying hybrid cars, manufacturers will see the need to produce more and eventually bring its price to very affordable levels.

What Are Hybrid Cars And Why Should We Use Them?

A Hybrid car is one that is green and clean, hence not only protecting the environment but also your wallet by efficient fuel consumption.  Hybrid cars actually combine two kinds of energy components for operation. One is petrol and the other electricity, hence making the vehicle such that it is hyperactive low emission, and quiet as well as cheap to run.

The first and foremost advantage of a hybrid car is associated with the protection of the environment, as hybrid cars have very low emissions and hence not having the greenhouse effect. The cost of fuel is less, and the resale value of hybrid cars is very good, hence making the car financially very feasible.

There are two main types coming in hybrid cars. One is the Parallel and the other Series. In the parallel hybrid, the petrol and electric motor of the car have the ability to power the transmission at the same time. However, in series hybrid, the petrol engine of the car doesn’t directly power the transmission. Instead, there is the generator that charges the batteries or the electric motor, which actually perform the transmission.

There are cars that are Full hybrid and there are Assist hybrids as well. The former ones can run on the engine alone and can run on the batteries or both, whereas, assist hybrids are the ones that possess a small gasoline engine that provides them with the primary power. Some of the cars made by Honda and Toyota are the best known among hybrids.

There are certain features in a hybrid vehicle that are especially built and help in better performance of the car, so that it can be fuel-efficient. In times like these when fuel costs are high, hybrid cars can be very useful. They may be a little expensive as compared to the non-hybrid ones, but they are worth it, as they save a lot on fuel as well as environment.

Hybrid cars have the ability to drive up to sixty miles per gallon, as opposed to the normal vehicle that drives twenty two to twenty eight miles a gallon. Slow and smooth acceleration of a hybrid car can help you save the gas. There are ways of handling a hybrid car that can actually help you in increasing the fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

The main advantage of a hybrid car is that it uses a lot less fuel to start with and when there is less fuel, there would ultimately be lesser emissions, hence protecting the environment from the ever-increasing pollution, as individual effort becomes collective effort for the betterment of the Earth.

Hybrid cars started in 1999. It was when Honda introduced its first hybrid car. With more awareness about the environment with the passage of time, the demand for the hybrids has been increasing over the passage of years. People who want to save the environment as well as costs are very likely to buy hybrid cars.

Hybrid Car Comparison: Which Hybrid Car Should You Choose

Hybrid cars are getting more and more popular today. In fact, more and more people are now purchasing hybrid cars because of a number of reasons. One is that they will enjoy tax incentives as a buyer of a hybrid car, two is that they will be able to save a lot of money from the rising cost of precious, expensive and limited supply of fuel and three, it will enable them to generate less pollution to the environment because of the extremely low toxic emissions generated by hybrid cars.

Because of the growing popularity of hybrid cars, more and more car manufacturers are now competing to produce the best kind of hybrid cars. They are now producing hybrid cars integrated with state-of-the-art technology that will enable consumers to save more on fuel, and also a car that will be able to produce low toxic emissions.

However, because of the growing market for hybrid cars, and also because of more and more car manufacturers that are now integrating hybrid technology in their cars, many people tend to get confused on which hybrid car to purchase. Besides, all car manufacturers promises to offer the best kind of hybrid cars in the market today.

In order to know which hybrid car to purchase, you have to compare them closely for you to know which hybrid car is for you and which hybrid car you can benefit from more. You have to compare some factors of hybrid cars in order to determine which hybrid car is better than the other.

However, before you go on and compare hybrid cars, you first have to know a little something about how hybrid cars work and how you can benefit from it. First of all, hybrid cars use the cleanest and the most efficient source of energy, which is electricity and also gasoline. Hybrid cars are what you can describe as a cross between a conventional gasoline-powered car and an electric-powered car.

It allows you to save fuel and emit lower volumes of toxic fumes because hybrid cars run on electricity when it is idle. What this means is that when you are stuck in traffic, and the hybrid car is running idle, or not in motion, it will automatically switch of the gasoline engine. Therefore, the hybrid car will run purely on electricity. Once you step on the accelerator pedal, it will automatically switch on the gasoline engine again to run the car.

So, now that you know how hybrid cars work and how you can benefit from it, you now have to know how to compare hybrid cars in order to get the right kind of hybrid car for your everyday use.

First of all, you need to determine how you will use the car. If you have a family, it is recommended that you get an SUV hybrid vehicle. This will enable you to carry more passengers. However, you also have to consider that SUV hybrid vehicles can cost a little more than hybrid cars.

The main advantage of a hybrid car is that it is fuel efficient. You have to choose a hybrid car that is the most fuel efficient in order for you to maximize its benefits. You can ask your dealer about the fuel efficiency of the car. They will be able to tell you how much miles a gallon it can save compared to conventional cars and other hybrid cars.

These are the ways on how you can compare hybrid cars in order for you to choose which one to get. Remember all these things and you can be sure that you will be able to get the right kind of hybrid car available in the market today. To start your search, Honda and Toyota are two of the leading companies today that produce affordable and efficient hybrid cars.

Electric and Hybrid Cars: A History

This illustrated history chronicles electric and hybrid cars from the late 19th century to today’s fuel cell and plug-in automobiles. It describes the politics, technology, marketing strategies, and environmental issues that have impacted electric and hybrid cars’ research and development. The important marketing shift from a “woman’s car” to “going green” is discussed. Milestone projects and technologies such as early batteries, hydrogen and bio-mass fuel cells, the upsurge of hybrid vehicles, and the various regulations and market forces that have shaped the industry are also covered.

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Why Should a Fabless Chip Company Roll out an Environmental Management System for ISO 14001 compliance

Why Should a Fabless Chip Company Roll out an Environmental Management System for ISO 14001 compliance

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Home Page > Technology > Communication > Why Should a Fabless Chip Company Roll out an Environmental Management System for ISO 14001 compliance

Why Should a Fabless Chip Company Roll out an Environmental Management System for ISO 14001 compliance

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Why Should a Fabless Chip Company Roll out an Environmental Management System for ISO 14001 compliance

By: Cees Links

About the Author

Cees Links is CEO and founder of GreenPeak Technologies, based in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Cees ["case"] Links is a pioneer of the wireless data industry, a visionary leader bringing the world of mobile computing and continuous networking together. Under his guidance, the first wireless LANs were developed which ultimately became house-hold technology integrated into the PCs and notebooks we are all familiar with. He also pioneered the development of access points, home networking routers and hotspot base stations, all widely used today.

He  was involved in establishing the IEEE 802.11 standard, the Wi-Fi Alliance, and IEEE 802.15 standardization committee.

(ArticlesBase SC #3363955)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – Why Should a Fabless Chip Company Roll out an Environmental Management System for ISO 14001 compliance

Why Should a Fabless Chip Company Roll out an Environmental Management System (ISO 14001 compliance)

Starting with Small steps to save the world

 

by Cees Links, CEO and Founder of Greenpeak

 

The implementation of a Quality Management System within the organization has been the next obvious step in GreenPeak’s maturity model.

 

Everybody in the organization has been well aware of the benefits and the introduction of a formal quality system, under the ISO 9001 denominator. It assisted us with improving our processes and supporting operations to make way for more efficiency, allowing for overall better products and services to be delivered to our customers. Our QMS has motivated our team to comply with our mission of providing a truly outstanding customer experience, in the broadest sense of the term.

 

Since GreenPeak carries its green vision as of day one of its foundation, the implementation of an EMS (Environmental Management System) seemed to be the logical next step. However, as a fabless semiconductor company, with no production facilities, the environmental impact of our activities is limited; a strict interpretation of the ISO 14001 standard could be limited to development and office activities only.

 

Also staying abreast of mandatory regulatory compliance requirements is very limited when it comes to environmental considerations of office activities. In short, the EMS introduction would result in counting sheets of paper and batteries used in the office.

 

This is indeed a noble cause, but one might wonder if it is worth the expenditure and staff time to implement the EMS to completion. Penny wise, pound foolish…

 

So where is tangible merit to such a time and money intensive EMS implementation for a fabless semiconductor company?

 

First is the obvious cost saving impact of reducing depletion of natural resources and energy for in-house activities: awareness creation and some simple guidelines in the office allow for measurable cost savings which reflect in lower bills for electricity, water, paper and office supplies. Small steps, big difference!

 

But there is more room for a fabless semiconductor company to improve its environmental impact in the management of materials and processes of its supplier’s operations. This system is called “upstream control” and has become more important over time as more and more semiconductor companies are outsourcing the production of their products and critical components. The production process of semiconductors is burdened with a heavy carbon footprint. Semiconductor manufacturing requires various resources (e.g. special gases and chemicals and large amounts of energy). As the micro fabrication technology progresses, there is a corresponding call for reduction of the environmental impact of the semiconductor industry. GreenPeak carefully selects its critical suppliers based on their green commitment.

 

 

And there is even more room for improvement. GreenPeak is not the average fabless semiconductor company, so we also manage to reduce the environmental impact of our activities on several levels of our product development. First is the design of smaller surface chips, which require fewer resources during the manufacturing process.

 

On a second level is the actual energy use of the devices in which GreenPeak chips are integrated in. Remote controls, which require no battery replacement throughout the expected product lifespan, can significantly slash battery consumption. This means over 90% reduction in total battery usage and results in a lot less heavy metals and toxic chemicals in our environment.

 

And last but not least, the LCA (life cycle assessment) – the environmental impact evaluation in product life cycle – of the green applications we promote, have a serious impact on energy management and consumption in the home. GreenPeak enabled remote controls become a home control dashboard, measuring, controlling heating, cooling, lighting and hence reducing overall electricity consumption.

 

In short, GreenPeak’s development focuses on the core of what it takes to make our activities so-called “carbon neutral”. The implementation of an environmental management system is therefore a valuable lesson of environmental modesty for a fabless, and green, semiconductor company.

 

===================

 

Cees Links is a pioneer of the wireless LAN industry, a visionary leader bringing the world of mobile computing and continuous networking together. With his leadership, the first wireless LANs were developed which ultimately became house-hold technology integrated into the PC’s and notebooks we all use today.  His group also pioneered the development of access points, home networking routers and hotspot base stations, all widely used today.

 

GreenPeak (http://www.greenpeak.com) is a fabless semiconductor company and is a leader in ultra low power wireless and battery-free communication technology for consumer electronics and wireless sense and control applications. This revolutionary technology, based on the IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee wireless networking standard, utilizes energy harvesting to facilitate battery-free operation in a totally wireless environment, without the need for either communications or power connectivity.

Retrieved from “http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/why-should-a-fabless-chip-company-roll-out-an-environmental-management-system-for-iso-14001-compliance-3363955.html”

(ArticlesBase SC #3363955)

Cees Links -
About the Author:

Cees Links is CEO and founder of GreenPeak Technologies, based in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Cees ["case"] Links is a pioneer of the wireless data industry, a visionary leader bringing the world of mobile computing and continuous networking together. Under his guidance, the first wireless LANs were developed which ultimately became house-hold technology integrated into the PCs and notebooks we are all familiar with. He also pioneered the development of access points, home networking routers and hotspot base stations, all widely used today.

He  was involved in establishing the IEEE 802.11 standard, the Wi-Fi Alliance, and IEEE 802.15 standardization committee.

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Article Tags:
iso 9001, iso 14001, greenpeak, cees links, green fabless chip company, greenpeak qms, environmental management system, ultra low power, zigbee rf4ce, 802 15 4, smart green home networking, remote controls, green tv, smart green house, upstream control

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Why You Should Travel Green

With the number of tourists traveling the world increases every year, the environmental impact of tourism only grows worse every year.

Travelers tend to produce a lot of trash- few tourists recycle while traveling, hotels are very inefficient, and airplanes spew carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Tourism can be pretty environmentally unfriendly.

With climate change, deforestation, and species extinction the defining issues of the day, it’s more important than ever before that we make our travels more environmentally friendly. Over the past few years, a new wave has matured within in the travel industry called “eco-tourism” to help make that possible.

Eco-tourism deals with reducing travels impact- both for the environment and for local people. Eco-tourism promotes environmental and social awareness and, typically, eco-tours travel to countries where the flora and fauna are abundant. Think of places like Costa Rica, Tanzania, the Amazon, and New Zealand.

While many eco-tours are simply greener versions of regular tours, others have specific angles:
• Volunteering: Many tours are based on participants volunteering in local community initiatives and clean up projects.
• Local Cultures: Many tours focus on educating groups about the local culture. This includes cooking classes, home stays, and language classes. The idea is to spread cultural respect and understanding while decreasing everyone’s environmental impact.
• Environmental education: These tours focus on highlight environmental issues in a local area and what can be done to improve the situation.

Eco-tourism promotes environmental awareness among its participants and reduces the environmental impact of tourism. Organizations use local products, local guides, and visit organizations that use sustainable and low impact methods.

Moreover, it promotes local conservation and trains locals on how protecting the environment is good for the planet but also for their wallet. Many companies run conservation programs and train locals on how to look after the environment. After all, no flora and fauna, no travel business.

Beyond the environmental impact is the social impact. By creating self sustaining industries and training locals, eco-tours help ensure that improvised communities develop financial independence giving them less incentive to cut down the environment that feeds them.

Here are a few tips that can help you reduce your environmental impact while traveling with these eco-tours:

Carry a water bottle.
Why it’s Green: No waste created from empty bottles.
Why it Helps You: You save money because you won’t have to buy water. Another option is (if you can’t drink the local water) to buy extra large jugs of water, leave them at the hostel; filling your bottle with only what you will need that day.

Walk, walk, walk.
Why it’s Green: No carbon emissions when walking.
Why it Helps You: You’ll stay in shape and you’ll save money.

When you can’t walk, take public transportation.
Why it’s Green: Fewer carbon emissions than a rental car or a taxi.
Why it Helps You: You get to really experience the local way of life and maybe meet an interesting local.

Eat less food and eat locally.
Why it’s Green: The “carbon footprint” of food is extraordinary! Eating less means there’s less waste and eating locally means a smaller footprint.
Why It Helps You: You’ll be healthier and save money and also you’ll gain a greater appreciation for the local culture.

The environment is the defining issue of our century. These problems affect us all and, if we don’t start reducing our impact on the earth, many of these beautiful places in the world might soon vanish.

Travel is a great experience and helps promote cultural understanding but typical travel has a heavy toll on the environment. For those with a green spirit, this can be a problem. We don’t have to pick between travel and the environment and, with eco-tourism, we can have our cake and eat it too.

Oil Recycling Why We Should Do It

Oil is made from crude oil, a valuable natural resource that is highly sought after. Oil is also a very serious pollutant so it is absolutely essential that any waste oil from the likes of car or boat engines or oil fired central heating systems for example, is disposed of in the proper manner. Despite awareness campaigns and legislation, many irresponsible people are still pouring waste oil down drains or dumping it on the roadside, which is not only illegal, it will contaminate the earth and water it comes into contact with.

Nearly all oil that is poured down a drain will find its way into rivers, streams and ultimately the sea and have a devastating effect on the environment and wildlife. Similarly if it is poured onto the ground it can find its way into the groundwater beneath.

Why recycle your waste engine oil?

Oil can be recycled and reused which helps preserve the earths natural resources for future generations

Recycling waste oil saves energy and money

Recycling oil helps protect the ground from pollution. If waste oil enters into the ground it contaminates the soil and kills off bacteria, micro organisms and earthworms, basically everything that is required to regenerate the soil

Even a tiny amount of oil is harmful to water, for example only 1 litre of oil can pollute literally millions of litres of water and kills fish, birds and other creatures. It is also an extremely costly exercise to clean up

Burning the oil is not the solution either as burning oil causes air pollution and is of course illegal too without the proper facilities and authorisations

When you have waste oil, store the oil in sealed containers and dont mix it with any other substances like paint or solvents as this can cause problems and make it very difficult to recycle. Storing it in containers also helps prevent accidental spillage. If you do accidentally spill oil, absorb smaller spillages with sand or another absorbent material like sawdust and dispose of the solid waste in an oil bank. Do not hose spilled oil away with water. For larger spills, contact the environmental agency or your local environmental health department immediately.

Where can you recycle your waste oil?

The Environmental Agency has established an oil care campaign to promote environmentally friendly disposal of waste oil, which basically means recycling it. Waste engine oil can be recycled in any of the oil banks situated across the country.

What happens to recycled oil?

When waste oil is taken for recycling, it is emptied into tanks and processed to filter out any unwanted elements or particles. The oil can then be reused in power stations, furnaces, boilers, cement and lime kilns and heaters as an alternative source of fuel. It might also be laundered, which means it is cleaned up and sent back to the supplier for reusing, or it can be refined to produce new oil.

What about cooking oil?

Oil banks are not for used cooking oil. Large amounts of used cooking oil from factories, restaurants and food outlets can be recycled so contact your local authority for details on what facilities are available for disposing of waste cooking oil in your area. Recycled cooking oil can be refined and used to make detergents or converted into bio fuels and some organisations will collect the waste free of charge or will buy it from you.

At home, small amounts of cooking oil can be disposed of along with household rubbish but make sure it is cooled first. It is important not to dispose of used cooking oil down the sink as it can cause problems and blockages when it solidifies. Some local authorities have facilities for collecting and recycling used cooking oil from domestic sources, contact your local authority to find out if this applies in your area.

Our duty

Under The Environmental Protection Act 1990, there is a Duty of Care placed on all industry producers of waste oil to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to look after any waste generated and prevent its illegal disposal by others. On an individual basis, we all have a moral as well as a legal obligation to protect the earth and our environment from unnecessary contamination of any kind and as such, it is vital that we dispose of our oil in an environmentally friendly way.

Ten Eco-Business Subsidies You Should Know About

Drivers won’t show love for electric cars any time this decade: Ford Canada CEO
TORONTO – Only a paltry one or two per cent of drivers will make the switch to pure battery-powered vehicles by the end of the next decade, says

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Second man dead in refinery blast
A SECOND worker has died from extensive burns received in an explosion at Mexico’s third-largest petroleum refinery, the state-run oil company says.

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Lawrence hosts annual energy conservation fair
Event will showcase tips on how to be more energy efficient and save money.

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NASA Hosts Green Aviation Summit
Bolden Highlights Importance of Issue to Future of NASAMOFFETT FIELD, Calif., Sept. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — NASA has a "critical responsibility" to the flying public to develop environmentally responsible solutions to the nation’s most pressing aviation problems, Administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr. said Wednesday.(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007 …

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Ten Eco-Business Subsidies You Should Know About
On the fence about taking steps to save the environment? These incentives could push you over the edge.

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